DIY way to fit a butt pad to a stock? HELLLLLLLLLLP!!

[steve46511]

A buddy gave me an old Sears (Stevens) single shot shotgun to use forever.

His son didn't like the plate on the gun and screwed a way too big butt pad to the gun but it doesn't even fit flush to the end of the stock and hangs over all the way around about 3/8 of an inch.

Midwayusa has a youtube vid on how to shape one to the stock with a table type disk sander that I do not have access to.

I thought maybe someone else had attacked this issue previously and had a suggestion on a cheap, easy DIY way to remedy it enough to make it usable.

This is the HEAVIEST single shot shotgun I think I have ever seen but otherwise in really good shape. I wish it was a 20 or 410 but I cannot find one I can justify the price they want in a single or side by side in either gauge. Buying a cheap shotty online with the shipping and transfer costs added to it makes one rather pricey since the shipping/transfer fees amount to a large part of the gun value. I about fainted looking at old Stevens 410 S x S shotguns on GB! Holy MOLY. Might as well save a couple hundred more and buy a used CZ with choke tubes in a 28 or 20 gauge. Maybe next year.

I am going to test the pattern on this old beast just for giggles with different shot sizes. I have an old (OLD!!) assortment of 12ga shells that have been laying around for decades.

Simply hoping there is some kind of option to shape a buttpad to fit that someone with meager skills can accomplish. Not real partial to the slip on pad and I'm sure I could find an original plate online if I spent the time to look but looking at all options.

Thanks in advance.
God Bless
Steve

[dbd870]

Unfortunately that's the only way I know how to do it.

[parson]

Years ago I put a pad on a muzzleloader. I attached it, wrapped masking tape around the stock where it met the pad, and filed/sanded the pad to fit. Didn't take too long as I recall, and it turned out pretty good. I still have the gun.

[steve46511]

Jul 6, 2014 17:10:55 GMT -5 parson said:

Years ago I put a pad on a muzzleloader. I attached it, wrapped masking tape around the stock where it met the pad, and filed/sanded the pad to fit. Didn't take too long as I recall, and it turned out pretty good. I still have the gun.

I've given thought to attacking it with a rasp or file. Maybe even for roughing the side of a grinder disk spinning would work off the worst of it.

Worst thing that could happen is I ruin the pad and have to get another, IMO, but I would do it OFF the stock and mark the pad bottom then keep at it refitting for final fit.

Thanks gang.
God Bless
Steve

[jackryan]

I think I'd try a band saw or scroll saw, at least to begin.

I'd mad a pattern off the gun butt from cardboard or heavy plastic. Put it on between the pad and gun stock and screw the pad down tight to establish the screw holes as locators. Trim off the execess sticking out of the pattern with scissors. That should probably leave a 1/16th or so wiggle room of extra.

Now take it all off the gun. Put the pattern on the pad like it was between the gun and glue it with the screws in the holes. Once it sticks take the screws out and you can use the flat end on the flat table of a band saw and the blade should cut a good square edge. By just trimming a little at a time and shaping it you should be able to tell when the blade is getting close or touching the cardboard or plastic patter underneath.

By sliding headless nails in the buttstock screw holes you can install and remove the pad quickly and easily to check the fit regardless of what you are using at the time sander or saw.

Never done it, this is just my seat of the pants, thinking it over for about a minute thirty and diving in head first plan.

[steve46511]

That would work too, I feel, with a good sharp FINE band saw blade.

I THINK I have a buddy with a band saw too. I'll have to check but after looking close at the butt pad they had on it.....I think I'm going to find another to start with.

I don't like SOFT butt pads on a scattergun but I think it would take about 80 psi to push this one in, AT ALL. LOL

I checked with the new-to-me gunsmith here locally that I have liked his work too. While I feel it's more than fair for action/barrel work, "45 dollars an hour flat rate" for putting a butt pad on an 80 dollar shotgun? uh....Nope.

God Bless

[drs]

Steve 46511, you can buy a Limbsaver slip-on recoil pad and I think this would work for you. You might also check-out Gun Parts, Corp. to see if they have a factory butt plate.

[esshup]

If you don't use one of the jigs that are on the market, and a disc bench mounted sander, the toe of the recoil pad will not follow the contour of the stock - it'll be straight back.

Call John at Tactical Components in Bremen. 574-250-9509

He'll do it for less than 1/2 of what the gun costs. Heck, if the gun costs $90, then the new recoil pad alone will cost about half the price of the gun!

FWIW, to do it right (bench disc sander, sanding jig, taping the stock to finish sanding the stock to fit) takes about 45 minutes start to finish.

[steve46511]

I know John. Nice guy. His rates are 45 an hour flat rate. Na, not in an old single that isn't mine.

I was able to find a guy with a side by side 20ga that was way more than obliging on payments and the price is below norm IMO so I am "upgrading" to a double due to his kindness.

It will be great for most anything but I'll have to pick and choose shots on ducks if I find a place to hunt them but just this AM I was able to get permission to hunt 40 acres 1.5 miles from where I live that is an old "swamp hole" (the local handle we hang on such). In high school it was a natural pond formed by just a low area in the landscape but then it was maybe a couple acres of water plus 4 times that in marsh or "bog". A buddy and I used to hunt it and I looked online to see who owned it now and to see on the GIS map how far away it was from homes.

NOW it's mostly bog but there is some patches of mature trees around it and from the road I spotted some dead trees that would look inviting to doves IMO, since so close to water and with the weedy area around it. There is a semi steady flow of doves by my home almost every evening and I spotted a dead tree way down the fencerow that I need to go check out as well.


The south boundary isn't a straight fence line but for some reason it has a couple ragged dips with one going into the hay field on that side and one going the other direction into the high grass but the fencerow coming in on the south is a fine old heavy one. The east boundary is made up of the west end of two very long parcels with homes on the other end but is mature trees for at least 200 yards. The north boundary is cornfield and the west side is the road with beans on the other side.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to take the bicycle and ride down there to take a look around right after sunup. I'm betting there is enough water in it this year to draw puddle ducks occasionally and for doves it looks like it could be good come fall.

It could be a real sleeper for deer too being only a mile out of town and scattered homes with larger partially wooded parcels between it and the four lane highway on the town side. I wouldn't expect a lot to stay there but when they are running it could easily see some very good days with the high grown cover and kind of a hub for the four fence rows that butt into it. The present owner told me "There are more deer around there than you think. Not as many as several years ago but they come through".

He also said he has been hearing quail calling the past few years........*** s s ss ssstutter!! ***

I'd be a happy camper just to flush some but popping just two annually would be pretty awesome for this ol fart.

I hope to take a couple deer there or somewhere else and share some venison with him for his kindness and maybe ask, since it's not farmable land, if he wouldn't mind if I scatter some kind of mixture of dove/duck/quail seed in the spring in any area it should grow with little effort.

I'd be tickled to be able to keep just a small area like this for birds to have cover, water and food and not have it drained and planted to corn or stomped to death by hoards of hunters. He stated it saddened him to see the pond slowly disappearing so I don't think his family has much interest in destroying it in the future and I've known his sons for years so......maybe this will be a great spot for me for my years ahead.

At any rate, I've got scouting to do and may sit a few evenings when temperatures aren't horrible in the evening and just watch what for what is and isn't around and I need to hit the patterning board with different loads sometime soon too.

God Bless
Steve